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The Healthy Heart Project offers free screenings on April 27
In 2005, we at FOX 2 wanted to team up with medical experts to tackle heart disease in our community. And almost 20 years later, numerous lives have been changed.
FOX 2 (WJBK) - In Health Works we're excited about April 27, so get out the calendar for this year's Healthy Heart Project.
In 2016 line of hundreds of people showed up to learn about their heart health. But the scene is the same every year, the event takes teams of doctors, nurses, techs, volunteers - to offer free heart screenings.
"We screen them for blood pressure, the Body Mass Indexes, and they get a free consultation with a cardiologist," said Dr. Shukri David. "If they are at risk for kidney disease, we screen their urine for protein and blood.
"So it is not complete, comprehensive evaluation, but it is a very good screening for the community."
Dr. David has been a part of the Healthy Heart Project since the beginning.
In 2005, we at FOX 2 wanted to team up with medical experts to tackle heart disease in our community. And almost 20 years later, many lives have been changed.
"We've had several patients who've needed open-heart surgery and many who've required coronary interventions," said Dr. David. "We've discovered serious rhythm disorders ... that lead to sudden cardiac death in young people. We had two patients like this last year."
Here's what you need to know, on April 27th, the Healthy Heart Project is happening in Metro Detroit at three locations:
- Ascension Providence in Southfield
- Ascension Providence in Rochester
- Ascension St. John in Detroit
Doors open at 7 a.m., and registration stops at 11 a.m.
And if you're thinking, 'I don't need those tests, I feel fine,' - remember symptoms can be silent.
"We hear about it all the time, I'm sure virtually every viewer has had a family member or friend, or someone they know that suddenly died," Dr. David said. "Heart attacks and sudden cardiac death happen in 50 percent of patients without symptoms.
"What's really sad is that alot of these young people that have hypertension and they are not aware of it. And it is something that can be easily tested, whether you are at Walgreen's or CVS, or a doctor's office, to get your blood pressure checked."
Think of these screenings as a crystal ball.
"This gives you a look into the future - years into the future, not one or two weeks, but decades," he said. "So it is really important to get these screenings done. It's very valuable. "